Big Ideas for Small Cities
Guest Blog Post By Amy McGinnis
I’m a mom of two, passionate cyclist and locavore, and can’t remember a time when the philosophy and principles of New Urbanism didn’t feel like self-evident truths to me – certainly I was a believer long before I knew it existed as an actual Concept.
I also love to connect people. Be it with another person, a job opportunity, a new restaurant or anything else that comes to mind as a great fit, few things bring me the satisfaction that a good connect does.
I’ll spend an hour tracking down someone I met at a party weeks ago to tell them about a house d I just heard might be going on the market in their neighborhood of choice. And when I met my husband, my first thought was, “Great guy – who can I set him up with?”
So today, I’d like to connect you with an amazing event that’s getting ready to happen in my city October 27 -29.
CityWorks (X)po is an interactive summit of place-makers and change agents; people doing innovative things in unexpected places to enhance their communities. Over three days, nationally renowned speakers and performers including James Howard Kunstler, Kennedy Smith, Christian Sottile, Mia Birk, Ben Hewitt and others are coming together to lead what we believe will be one of the largest place-making idea exchanges in the country.
By day, this “festival conference” will feature provocative presentations and engaging discussions; by night, attendees will experience spectacular local food and entertainment.
Come to the inaugural (X)po to collaborate and connect; leave recharged, with new ideas and inspired initiatives – and meaningful connections with colleagues from diverse disciplines who are making a positive difference.
For more information about this incredible event , including how to register for one of the remaining spots, visit www.CityWorksXpo.com. And if (X)po resonates with you – even if you can’t attend this year – please drop me a line so I know and can connect with you in the future.
It’s Very Cool to Go Local
Our Local Jazz Festival brings revenue to many local businesses, including the venue, our local art gallery and the food courtesy of one of our local restaurants.
I can’t recall when in recent memory there has been such a concerted effort to build up the local economy. The teetering global economy no doubt has a lot to do with this trend.
While being interconnected on a global scale has done amazing things to raise awareness about the needs of our human community, the impact of global trading on our local economies has been a mixed blessing.
We’ve seen enough 60-Minutes TV specials on the impact of big box stores on the demise of the mom and pop shops in our communities, but perhaps we’re in for another change…the re-emergence of the local entrepreneur.
The local food craze and new urbanism are making it cool to work, shop, play and do business close to home. A few years ago that was a concept for the communities and cities that had their act together through chance or the will of a few.
Now “going local” has gone mainstream and we have politicians passing legislation to make it easier to start and thrive in fast growing local businesses making the best of current commercial trends like “urban agriculture.”
Just last week the Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, passed legislation to support and protect businesses that fall under the urban agriculture category. That’s one of the few times the Big Apple followed the trend of smaller
Jazz in our Town at the McKay Art Center
cities setting the pace for urban agriculture…cities like Cleveland. Read the article I wrote about Cleveland’s experience in the Initiative for Competitive Inner Cities‘ blog.
I’m feeling a chain reaction here and I’m hoping this is just the beginning. Go local!!
It’s All About a Better Way of Life – CNU19
I’ve just returned from the annual gathering of architects, town planners, and advocates for new urbanist ideals called The Congress for the New Urbanism or CNU19, held June 1-4 in Madison, Wisconsin.
In all the years that I’ve followed this movement I’ve never been to this event, though I’ve read much about it. I have to thank the Chicago based CNU for the invitation and event pass to this year’s conference in beautiful Madison. Without the invitation, I don’t think I might have attended and it has nothing to do with cost (it’s not expensive). But it has more to do with the conversation itself and the perception that it’s a closed one for insiders only–a perception that caused me to create this blog.
Now I don’t see how I can miss another Congress.
For years I’ve babbled on passionately about the importance of consumers (moms, dads, new graduates, retirees – “us”) understanding the goal and focus of new urbanism. It’s simply not enough for us to base our knowledge of new urbanism on real estate marketing material touting how awesome it is to purchase homes that enable us to “live, work and play” all in the same community.
Over 1,000 delegates brainstorm at CNU19
New urbanism is no marketing ploy. It’s a movement. But for any movement to take hold it has to capture the hearts and imaginations of the intended audience – you and me. This event captured my imagination and buoyed my confidence in the brilliant men and women who are putting so much thought and creativity into taking the technical aspects of urban planning and home and landscape architecture and re-working it according to powerful social and environmental imperatives shaping our world today.
Here’s some of what I heard at CNU19 in Madison.
Andres Duany – More Focus on Real Sustainability
Andres Duany, DPZ, Co-founder of the CNU
I have to admit it was a little unnerving to finally see (and meet!) Andre Duany – the co-founder of CNU and the person most recognized worldwide as the leading force in the New Urbanism movement. I listened intently as Duany spoke about agrarian urbanism a fast emerging trend which really speaks to the whole local food movement, the theme of this year’s Congress.
While sustainability is reflected in the principles of new urbanism there aren’t many NU communities that are self sustaining in the way we would hope they would be based on the marketing. Most of the pretty new urbanism communities that I know barely offer a sufficient supply of employment and business opportunities close to the community and that’s a complaint I read about again and again.
In fact I would suggest that most NU residents in my region still have to jump in their cars (bad) or intermittent transit (ongoing issue) to get to work (and even entertainment) a decent commute away.
So when I listened to Duany speak about agrarian urbanism as a way of building real, functioning villages–the kind of places NU communities are meant to replicate, I was excited.
Apparently what we could be seeing more of in our new communities – both inner city/suburban redevelopments and new developments – are attempts to make communities more self sufficient through the cultivation of local agricultural efforts to both grow and process produce locally. Design-wise we might see more homes emphasizing the garden space and more public spaces focused on these agrarian themes and initiatives.
In fact, that’s already a hot trend both in my suburb and in our large urban center.
What’s more, I listened to a presenter from an organization in Central Ohio discuss how his region is developing communities that will be using urban agriculture and the processing of produce as a means of rejuvenating blighted areas in the cities and the suburbs. From creating jobs, to encouraging healthier eating, such developments embody new urbanism in the most life changing ways.
CNU19 Students
Kristen Jeffers - MPA Student and "NextGen" CNU member.
I was thrilled to see the student presence at CNU19. I met Kristen Jeffers, a Public Affairs graduate student with deep interest in the effects of urban design on the lives of people in urban centers. Kristen is part of the CNU’s innovative “Next Gen” group which is a tract/section the Congress nurtures for younger planners, architects and advocates – including students.
Awards: Notre Dame University’s Graduate School of Architecture won the CNU Charter Awards Grand Prize for their comprehensive vision for Skaneateles, New York. Their submission looked at sustainable strategies for the city’s future growth. What caught my attention was how the students linked this project to larger issues. Notre Dame is of course the nation’s preeminent Catholic university and the team explained that the values and principles of new urbanism are a great match for what they’ve learned in terms of Catholic social teachings.
Catholic social teachings encompass an appreciation and emphasis on sustainability and the well being of everyone in a community, regardless of income, abilities etc.
After meeting some of these young people I have to tell you that I feel we are in such good hands (and we did such a good job raising them!).
What Families, Retirees, Young Adults Are Missing
While CNU19 touched on many topics from passenger rail, to how to plan city roads that will be safe for anyone on a bike - including couriers and parents with toddlers – one topic that was addressed I need to share here was communication.
To date urban planners and advocates have done a great job of lobbying cities to develop codes and regulations that support the design and construction of smart communities that address many of our issues (e.g. curbing suburban sprawl with higher density developments). But for more efficient, lasting and far reaching change, the conversation needs to happen between families, friends and neighbors.
That’s why I started this blog – to reach moms who in many instances are the main decision makers in households regarding home buying/renting. But really my kids in college need to start thinking about this as does my retired father.
New urbanism is a conversation that needs to extend beyond the wonderful circle of architects and planners who envision and plan our communities. We can help to ensure that decisions are being made in our communities that reflect the conscientious and environmentally focused principles of new urbanism. That’s a job that more of us can take on once a broader, more universal understanding of new urbanism is achieved in our country.
So What Can you Do?
Whether you own your home or rent I encourage you to:
- Seek out and ensure your community has access to locally grown food (e.g. a farmers’ market) – promote this to your friends
- Think twice about buying or renting a home that would increase your commute to work. If that’s unavoidable think about telecommuting or other work (entrepreneurial) options closer to home.
- Research the builders and developments you are considering for your next move. Do they reflect new urbanism principles? Will the work they do enhance or hurt your region?
- Be a voice in your community and push for codes and by-laws that support green developments; safe biking in residential and commercial areas; locally grown food and; local business growth (this list could be infinitely longer, but you get the idea).
- Bike more whenever possible. If you haven’t ridden a bike since grade 4, don’t be afraid – you’re likely not alone! Riding a bike teaches our children healthy habits and will encourage more adult bike riders in the years to come (and more sensitive drivers).
- Visual appearances have an impact on our children and their development – support efforts in your community to bring art, inspirational landscapes and healthy options to your streets and neighborhoods.
To read highlights from the CNU19 click here.
I can’t wait to attend next year’s CNU20 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Until then, here’s hoping there’ll be more in our main stream media and in our own local conversations about new urbanism and it’s vital role beyond the real estate pages.
New Urbanism and the Inflexibility Myth
Urban market photo - courtesy of foodmuseumblog.com
Randy Bright argues in the Tulsa Beacon that new urbanism is basically too inflexible and too surburban for its own good.
The criticism around inflexibility is rooted in the notion that there are all these cumbersome rules regarding the look, feel and requirements for communities that want to be included in the new urbanism fold. This inflexibility, he further argues, makes new urbanism “invalid” since the restriction prevents future generations from creating cities that can be responsive and competitive in a way that supports sustainability.
This article highlights for me one of the biggest challenges to entrenching new urbanism thought in our society and that is a pervasive misunderstanding of the concept.
Randy bases most of his argument on observations shared in a 1998 paper written by planner Ruth Durack. Durack considers new urbanism’s “obsession” with the English village design a stodgy approach rooted more in the movement’s abhorrence of cities and preference for satisfying some notion of consumer preference for far flung suburban living in surroundings that resemble a by-gone era.
The new urbanism that I understand is not so much obsessed with the traditional village design, but rather celebrates home and community designs that bring people together. Frankly I couldn’t care less which century we borrow from but I do care about comfort, accessibility, affordability, efficiency and beauty and most importantly so do many buyers/renters.
Further, new urbanism is definitely not a movement interested only in suburban development. New urbanism principles and designs are doing wonders for our cities–a fact that is reflected in the new plans and developments being considered and adopted by cities across the country .
This movement, in fact, relies heavily on the strengths of some of our cities’ older infrastructures and city plans (e.g., mixed housing developments interspersed with cultural institutions, markets, parks, etc.).
I’m sure as time goes by and more new ideas are injected into the new urbanism genre, concepts will naturally evolve and change to respond to the preferences of the current generation while (hopefully) staying true to the principles and goals we wish to achieve for the health of our environment and the sustainability of our regions.
Cleveland offers a great example of a challenge ridden but grand old city, pulling the best from its cultural past to create something new and engaging for existing and prospective residents. Watch the video below to learn about Cleveland’s exciting Market Square Park initiative:
A Suburb’s Reinvention
Shaken by statistics I’d read from the Brookings Institute about the increase in suburban poverty I wrote an article offering my take on addressing the issue and submitted it to the Congress for the New Urbanism which should be published soon as a guest blog post on their website. Then a few days later in my local paper I read about a real life example of how one suburb is planning its reinvention.
There’s nothing like a real-life example to help the rest of us non-planner types really understand how the new urbanism movement is able to take our values and lifestyle priorities to create communities that work for us instead of the other way around. Envision the following:
Families stroll along the banks of canals and sip coffee at sidewalk cafes; young couples walk from nearby condominiums to take in plays and exhibitions in theatres and galleries on an island, others sunbathe on a long pier jutting into Lake Ontario.
(from the Globe and Mail)
While what you’ve read is just a vignette it was based on recently approved plans to address a blighted site in the suburb of Mississauga (Ontario). The site currently houses a shuttered electric generating station and neglected creek.
What’s envisioned is a 247 acre master planned, mixed-use, development that will feature “transit oriented neighborhoods” and will also include:
- mid-rise and high-rise apartment blocks
- offices with street front retail on the ground floor
- townhouses
- a possible college or university campus
The question that comes to mind of course is funding and political will. Without the leaders at the municipal level to keep viable eco-friendly plans like these alive, such projects are too easily shelved.
It’s no surprise then to learn that this project has a motivated political champion who uses the media exceptionally well to push for a project that will eventually be home to 25,000 residents in this suburb. He delivers great soundbites.
Mississauga is one of the few places in North America that’s reinventing itself from a suburban city to an urban one.
–Mississauga Councillor, Jim Covey (from the Globe and Mail).
Take note – prior to a recent election in this area Mr. Covey, a carpenter and heritage restoration specialist, was a member of the residents’ association that began the work of seeking proposals for redevelopment of the area several years ago. Politics may have been a means to an end for this gentleman which is alright with me when “the end” is all about the community and not just the individual.
What’s key in this situation (and many others) is that the idea for reinvention came from residents, like you and I. The will and desire of residents to reshape their communities is as critical a component as our government and private sector partners. In fact we have to be the driving force behind making new urbanism principles the foundation for community development and redevelopment from coast to coast. Our economy and our environment depend on this movement.
When the Virtual Connection Goes Local
Well I am pumped in a big way! I just met some wonderful new/old friends and my business focus just got a little sharper. Let me explain…
For about 2 years I’ve belonged to a pretty active and engaged women’s small business networking group that has among its membership some of the most successful and recognized online business owners like Nicole Dean, Alice Seba, Leesa Barnes and owner Kelly McCausey. The group is called Mom Masterminds and it’s a pretty unique destination on the net.
After joining this mentorship group in 2007 I learned how to take my daughter’s art business online, set up a website for my own marketing business and establish a blog–this one– for my 15-year passion about new urbanism.
Rarely does a day go by that I don’t check-in to our online discussion forum to see what questions are being asked or to ask one of my own or even just to welcome a new member. But that’s just the business side of things. While this group is about business, it’s also a network of women so you know we inevitably talk about “more” than business on our treasured discussion forums.
At any given time of the day someone may be feeling a little unmotivated because of family demands, someone else may have a sick child–whatever the personal need, our discussion forum has become a place to learn, unload and relax with “virtual” colleagues who in many cases have become friends.
That explains why my first experience hosting an in-person “meet-up” this past weekend in Toronto was like a meeting of old friends. Our virtual connections went “local” when the group’s Michigan based owner Kelly McCausey with partner Lynette Chandler decided to add a local component to our online network of hundreds of women. By encouraging local “Meet-ups” of members and non-members in cities across the U.S. and Canada we added one more great benefit to this group.
The information and resources offered through MM are targeted at new or established women entrepreneurs who really want to grow their business through best practices in Internet marketing. In fact, one of the great treats about this recent local “Meet up” is that Kelly McCausey came in person to talk about the group and also shared her newly published book “The Complete Internet Marketing Moms Start Up Guide.”
This guide contains just about everything a new entrepreneur should know in order to plan, successfully launch and operate an Internet based business. I feel so strongly about this book that I plan on sharing it at other venues in my own local community. I know a lot of commuters, neighbours and frustrated professional women who would be interested in the options/choices this guide offers for those who want to work for themselves.
I learned so much from the women I met this weekend and I look forward to connecting in the short term with Leesa Barns, Imie Belanger, Lexi Rodrigo and Angela Wills 
Some pictures from our meet-up:
The Community Garden Concept
Photo of Markham Community Garden Courtesy of www.lifecracy.com
Our neighborhood has homes situated on lots that are perfectly suitable for decent gardens. That’s why I was surprised at the popularity of the community garden.
I actually can’t confidently say I knew there was one. But yesterday my son spent his second visit there with a dear friend of our family who kindly invited him to join her. He LOVES it there.
The community garden in our neighborhood is made possible because of the generosity of a local family who have allowed access to a portion of their private property for this specific use.
The concept is really wonderful. Participants make a donation to the area’s local Food Network and contribute their time and available resources towards the maintenance of the garden and the purchase of supplies.
Relationships develop as participants meet their “plot neighbors” on visits and gradually learn more about each other. According to William a visit there is like witnessing a neighborhood busy about it’s business of socializing and working. Individuals dig about their plots, chatting about their interests and local events.
On William’s previous visit he met an older couple from England who captured his imagination with the brief glimpse of their personal history that they were kind enough to share with him.
I can’t recall if I’ve posted this before or not, but William plans to be a film maker. His wheels are spinning about the potential story that could come from this community garden with its cast of players – from the intriguing couple from England, to the “neighbours” from Sri Lanka.
William could easily tell from the easy conversations and the sense of complete contentment on the faces of these “gardeners” that the community garden serves more than one purpose; it’s a place for growing food and for nurturing relationships that help to strengthen our larger garden – our town.
What an apt definition for new urbanism.
Supporting New Urbanism and the Question of Moving
So let’s say you live in one of those cul-de-sacs that are such a no-no in the new urbanism movement. Does that mean you have to consider moving to practice what you preach as a new urbanism convert?
Of course not. While a McMansion on a cul-de-sac doesn’t appeal to me anyhow, personally I would love to move to one of the newer new urbanism developments in my community because I love the neighborhood design, the small but stylish homes and I have friends there.
I won’t be moving though because where I live allows me to conserve energy and spend less!
I’m in one of those small, post-war homes that was thankfully built near a nature conservation area, our town’s Main St., amazing libraries and museums and excellent public transportation. Looking at all those benefits helps me to keep a level head about moving.
That’s a good thing since the temptation is always there – after all I put out the Top Ten New Urbanism Communities list every year and the research involved in creating that list has me submersed in the details and attributes of some of the most attractive and affordable new urbanism communities in all the locations we would consider moving to (both in the U.S. and Canada).
Overall I think that’s a good thing. It’s an indication that more and more builders are building quality, affordable homes that regular families like ours can afford.
So keep a level head about new urbanism. Don’t feel you have to move to embrace the ideals of this movement. If you were planning on moving anyhow, then yes this is a great time to consider your options of moving to a city or a new urbanism development that embraces the close knit community feel of traditional neighborhood designs.
But if moving isn’t on your agenda, some of the more important questions to ask are:
- Can I use public transportation more?
- Can I buy more of our food, clothing and housewares from local vendors and producers?
- Can I lobby or work with community leaders to ensure that there are resources and infrastructures in place to support work-at-home-opportunities and attract more businesses to my town?
Even on Vacation Communities Make the Difference
I love vacations. Our family, like so many others, has many funny, wonderful memories of vacations that begin with checking into the hotel in a new city or country and end with checking out of the hotel, carrying a suitcase full of souvenirs and dirty laundry! Our recent vacation was a little different.
We landed in a foreign country, but skipped the hotel part. We set up our temporary home in the community. The location: 2119 feet above sea level in a quaint Jamaican village where my mother grew up.
Each morning I’d wake up early and retrace some of the steps my mother would have taken as a girl. I’d stroll up the street saying good morning to many of the older folks, some related, some not, but represent the majority of those remaining residents in sleepy spot in the Jamaican mountainside.
My mother (and father) left Jamaica around 1956 and though she and my father took us back for brief visits throughout the years, I’d never really spent a lengthy amount of time here. We usually stayed in hotels in Ocho Rios, Kingston, Montego Bay or Negril.
Staying in this community during this vacation was a wonderful change of pace and I highly recommend it to those of you choosing to vacation in beautiful Jamaica. Book any one of the stunning resorts for your stay but make sure to take a few days worth of tours through Jamaica’s communities.
When I celebrate my home, Toronto, I’m really celebrating the distinct communities where people live since it is these places–where people actually live–that make this region of Canada special. Places like – High Park, Little Italy, The Beach, Riverdale, Lawrence Park, Leaside and Toronto’s surrounding communities like Oakville, Unionville and Markham are all the “ingredients” that make Toronto a delicious and memorable place to visit.
Here are a few images from our June 2009 trip:
Morning stroll took Hannah and I to family for conversation on the porch.
Hannah loved this! Chukka Cove horse back riding, Llandovery.
Llandovery is beautiful (near St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica)
3-Minute Video about New Urbanism
New urbanism is one of those concepts that can be difficult to grasp. It’s a term that’s not part of our daily conversation, yet its meaning is very much a part of what most people engage in every day.
If you go to work or are looking for work that you can afford to get to every day, you’re involved in new urbanism.
If you worry about the safety of your community, activity options for you, your kids, your family, recycling and other green living initiatives – you’re thinking about new urbanism.
I just came upon the Congress of New Urbanism’s 2009 Video Award winner and that’s exactly what it is – a winning definition for “new urbanism:”
I’m Also Here…
